In the Media

It seems the belief that atheists are values-neutral is alive and well and living in the Lodge. The French philosopher Michael Onfray, in his book The Atheist Manifesto, writes: "The old idea of the immoral, amoral atheist, with neither faith nor ethical rules, dies hard. The phrase 'if God does not exist, then everything is permitted' - a refrain picked up from Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov - continues to resonate … this misguided notion needs to be thoroughly demolished."

The Vatican has yet to lift its ban on the use of condoms, and the Catholic hierarchy's position holds the most sway in the countries that are least able to deal economically and medically with the disease.

Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, told IPS: "The poll results carried out in four continents actually show that the Vatican's policy on condoms is fatally flawed. They have spoken a lot of rhetoric about being pro-life and the importance of the ethic of life, and when it comes to this particular situation it's very obvious that the interests that the Vatican is holding onto are not interests that celebrate human life but are ones that are actually costing it."